Burner fuel pipe cleaner



March 2l, 1944.` c. r.' wELsH BURNER FUEL PIPEILEANER Filed June ze, 1941 f w@ mi.

Patented Mar. 2l, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BURNER FUEL PIPE CLEANER Clarke T. Welsh, Logansport, Ind. Application June 26, 1941*, Serial No. 399,867

4 Claims.

This invention relates to fuel pipe cleaners for liquid lfuel burners and more particularly to an automatically actuated .cleaner for the fuel pipe and fuel flow passage of ra liquid fuel burner which operates periodically to prevent the .accumulation of any obstruction to fuel flow.

The advantages of -periodic automatic cleaning of the fuel supply passage of a pot or gravity feed type of burner are more than the .insurance of uniform and proper operation of the burner Aby preventing obstruction of the fuel flow. 'The periodic cleaning makes possi-ble the use of cheaper grades of `fuel in lgravity feed or pot type burners which are 'generally only satisfactory for the gun type or pressure feed burners. The cheaper grades of fuels generally contain more substances which tend to separate from the fuel and accumulate in or near the end of the Vfuel supply line, thereby to obstruct .and interfere with the continued flow of fuel to the burner. The present invention prevents this interference with normal fuel flow, even with the cheaper fuels, .and effects movement of the obstructing substances to a place in the burner pot where they are burned.

An object of vthis invention is to provide an automatically actuated cleaner for the fuel flow passage of a liquid fuel burner `which periodically removes any accumulated substances from the fuel flow passage and moves them to a place ,in the burner where they are burned.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cleaning device for the fuel flow passage of a liquid fuel burner which makes possible the use, in a gravity feed or pot type burner, of fuel of a lower grade than that ordinarily used in such burners.

Another object of this invention is t provide a cleaning .device for the fuel feed passage of a liquid .fuel burner which .moves obstructing substances from said passage to a place within the burner `at which they Will be burned.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cleaning device for the fuel feed passage of a liquid `fuel burner which does not materially obstruct normal flow of fuel due to the adherence of substances to the cleaning element.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cleaning device for the fuel feed passage of a liquid fuel burner which is automatically timed for periodic operation.

Other objects vand advantages of this invention relate to various features of construction and arrangement of parts which will'be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawing, lwherein Figure 1 is a side sectional view rof apparatus embodying a preferred form of the present invention.; and

Figs. 2, 3, -4 and v5 are sectional views Vtaken substantially on the lines 2-2, 3 3, 4-4 and 5 5, respectively, of Fig. 1 yand in the directions indicated :by the respective arrows.

Having particular reference to the drawing, the apparatus which comprises the present invention is illustrated as being :adapted to a pot type or gravity feed oil burner, although it is not necessarily limited thereto. A burner pot lil such as that commonly used and Well-known in the oil Iburner field has connected thereto and communicating therewith a straight section Vof pipe I2 threaded into a coupling I3 `on the burner pot at one end and connected through a T-type coupling I4 to a fuel feed line I5, so that the pipe I2 comprises a part of the fuel feed line, The fuel feed line l5 is preferably provided with .a constant level valve which is indicated at'lt to control the flow `of fuel through the fuel feed line I5.

As a general rule, the vgravity feed or pot type burners require a A.higher grade or better .quality of fuel than that required by some other types of burners. This makes the usual fuel ysomewhat more expensive than the lower grades of fuel. The lower grades of fuel contain more residue and substances which tend to separate Vout and deposit fin the fuel feed line, particularly in the portion of Ythe fuel feed line near the burner pot. Even the higher grade fuels deposit some residue in the fuel feed line near the burner pet so that the line should lbe cleaned at intervals. In the present invention, a mechanism is pro vided for intermittently or periodically cleaning the portion of the fuel feed line near the burner pot.

To `accomplish this cleaning of the fuel feed line, a shaft or cleaner rod Il of considerably smaller diameter than the internal diameter of I the straight pipe I2 extends through the T-type coupling and into the pipe l2. This cleaning rod or shaft I'I has cleaning blades I8 thereon and preferably integrally formed therewith. Ths cleaning blades I8, I9 and 20 have relatively sharp edges which conform to and t the interior surface of the .pipe I-2. The cleaning blades are preferably segmental and are `circumferentially staggered :to `leave clearance for the passage of ,fuel through the pipe I2 and to mini mize the collection of deposited residue between adjacent blades. The longitudinal spacing of the blades along the shaft I1 also assists in minimizing the collection of residue therebetween. The surfaces of the blades facing the burner pot are preferably substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft I1; while the opposite surfaces thereof are preferably tapered to an extent such that the intersecting surfaces form an acute angle. The perpendicular front surfaces push any accumulated residue into the burner pot upon longitudinal movement of the shaft I1 in one direction and the tapered rear surfaces tend to prevent catching or sticking of the blades in an abnormal position near or within the burner pot.

The end of the shaft I1 opposite the cleaning blades projects from the pipe I2 and the T -type connector I4 through a housing comprising a section of pipe 22, a coupling 23 and a second section of pipe 24 which is preferably brass or non-magnetic material. The end of the shaft I1 is secured to a connecting unit 25 of brass or other suitable non-magnetic material, as by being threaded thereto. A key 26 is preferably provided on the shaft I1 which extends longitudinally therealong and is slidable in a keyway 21 in a partition 28, which partition is preferably secured within the coupling 23. This key and keyway prevent turning of the cleaning rod within the pipe I2. f

The end of the non-magnetic connecting unit 25 opposite the shaft I1 is threaded into, and thereby secured to one end of an armature or magnetic core 29 of a solenoid 32.

The armature or core 29 is slidable longitudinally within the pipe 24 and is normally biased by a spring 32 to a position offset from the magnetic center of the solenoid. The spring 32 is secured to the end of the armature by a screw 33 or other suitable fastening means and is anchored to a cap 34 on the end of the pipe 24 by a bolt 35 and cooperating nut 36.

The'solenoid 33 has a winding 31 and insulating end supports 38 and 39. One end of the solenoid winding is connected through a lead 40 to a suitable source of energizing potential. The other end of the solenoid is connected t0 the source of energizing potential through a timing yswitch 42 and preferably through a fuse 43. The timing switch may be any suitable switch for intermittently or periodically energizing the solenoid for short intervals of time at suitable or desired intervals, such as a switch actuated by an electric clock. Energy for the operation of the clock or timing mechanism of the timing switch 42 is provided through a lead 44 and through the lead 45 which also carries the energizing current for the solenoid winding 31. The solenoid 36 and the timing switch 42, as well as the connections thereto are preferably enclosed within a housing 46 having a partition 41 therein which separates the solenoid from the timing switch. Suitable grommets such as 48, 49 and 50 are provided for the protection of the connecting leads where they extend through the metallic walls of the housing 46 and the partition 41.

In the preferred installation of the disclosed fuel pipe cleaner, the constant level valve and the size of the pipe I2 are such that the level of the fuel in the pipe I 2 preferably stays below the opening in the partition 28 through which the shaft I1 extends. This prevents fuel from the feed line from getting into the solenoid` armature chamber within the pipe 24, although no particular harm should result from overflow of fuel oil past the partition 28 into the armature chamber. The section of pipe I2 adjacent the burner pot is preferably straight and the cleaner blades are disposed therein a short distance from the entrance to the burner pot when in the retracted or normal position which is illustrated. Energization of the solenoid attracts the center of the armature 29 to the magnetic center of the solenoid coil 31 against the biasing force of the spring 32 and thereby moves the cleaning blades I8, I S and 20 in the pipe I2 and preferably to a position such that all of the blade segments are within the burner pot. By moving the cleaning blades into the burner pot, the residue moved thereby from the fuel pot I2 is pushed in to the hot burner pot Where it is burned along with the remainder of the fuel.

Although the solenoid may be manually energized at suitable or desired intervals, the provision of the timing switch 42 makes the energization automatic and periodical. Through the use of this cleaning device which periodically or intermittently cleans the portion of the fuel line near the burner pot, the lower grades of fuel than those normally useable may be used in the burner without effecting the usual clogging of the fuel feed line. By any system of energization, the solenoid need only be energized for a very short interval of time to effect the actuation and full longitudinal movement of the cleaning rod and blades. Upon deenergization of the solenoid, the armature, cleaning rod and the blades are retracted to their normal positions by the spring 32.

While an embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for the purpose of illustration, the applicant does not wish to be restricted specifically thereto since various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed as new and upon which it is desired to secure Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination with a pot type liquid fuel burner having a burner pot and a fuel feed line including a straight section of pipe connected to the burner pot, an automatic cleaning device comprising a cleaner rod. of smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the straight section of pipe and having longitudinally spaced and circumferentially staggered cleaning blade segments thereon which fit into the inside of the straight section o-f pipe, said rod extending into the straight section of pipe to a position such that the cleaning blade segments arenormally spaced from the burner pot, means preventing turning of the rod with respect to said pipe, a spring biasing the rod to said position in which the cleaning blade segments are spaced from the burner pot, an armature secured to the cleaner rod, a solenoid for actuating the armature to drive the rod toward the burner pot against the biasing force of the spring to a position such that the blade segments are moved to positions within the pot beyond the straight section of pipe, and automatic timing means effecting periodic energization of the solenoid for short intervals of time.

2. In combination with a gravity feed type of liquid fuel burner having a burner pot and a fuel feed line including a straight section of pipe connected to the burner pot, a fuel line cleaner comprising a cleaner rod of smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the straight section of pipe and having segmental cleaning blades thereon which t into the inside of the straight section of pipe, said rod extending into the straight section of pipe t0 a normal position such that the cleaning blades are located intermediate the ends of the straight section of pipe, resilient means biasing the rod to said normal position, magnetically actuated means for moving the rod axially within the straight section of pipe through a range such that the cleaning blades are moved from the pipe into the pot for removing deposited material from the pipe into the pot, and automatic means eiecting intermittent energization of the electromagnetic means.

3. A gravity feed type liquid fuel burner comprising a burner pot, a duct provided at one end with a straight pipe section communicating with the pot for delivering liquid fuel thereto and provided adjacent the other end with an armature casing section, a liquid fuel supply conduit communicating With said pipe for supplying fuel to the pot, electromagnetic means comprising an armature Within said casing, and pipe cleaning means attached to said armature and operable thereby comprising a reciprocable rod within said duct provided with pipe scraping means reciprocable between positions within said pipe and positions within said pot for effecting removal into the pot of material deposited Within the pipe by fuel flowing through the latter into the pot.

4. A gravity feed type liquid fuel burner comprising a burner pot, a duct comprising a straight horizontal pipe section at one endthereof communicating with said pot for delivering fuel thereto and an armature casing section adjacent the other end, a reoiprocable rod within said duct provided with pipe scraping means adjacent the outlet end of said pipe section, electromagnetic means comprising an armature within said casing section and connected to said rod for reciprocating the latter periodically for movlng said scraping means through said outlet end of the pipe into the pot for removing deposited material from the pipe and depositing same Within the pot, a fuel supply conduit communieating with said pipe section for delivering liquid fuel to the latter, and a member in said duct between the junction thereof with said supply conduit and said armature casing section and provided with a guiding aperture for said rod and constituting a barrier to the flow of fuel into the armature casing section of said duct.

CLARKE T. WELSH. 

